


Legend Of The Sword

by ItsJaneyDanny



Category: Arthurian Mythology, GOT7, JJ Project, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Blood Monarchy, Dragons, Excalibur, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jaebeom is Arthur, Jinyoung is Lancelot, M/M, Magic, Mark is Merlin, Minor Character Death, Once and Future King, Prostitution, Shields, Swords, Violence, camelot AU, king arthur - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-02-23 02:34:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23937673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsJaneyDanny/pseuds/ItsJaneyDanny
Summary: Lim Jaebeom ran the streets, he'd run them since he learned the strength it took to survive in lower Londinium. He protected his own, kept his head down with a drive to thrive in the dark times he lived in. He cared not for the rumors of a born king, cared not for anything but his immediate future.It didn't matter what rumors were stirred up, what trouble was brewing in the upper echelons of Camelot, it didn't concern him. At least he hoped it didn't.King Arthur/Arthurian Legend inspired AU.Heavily inspired by Guy Ritchie's "King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword."
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung
Comments: 20
Kudos: 29





	1. Prologue

_Lightning crashed._

_Rain fell._

_Screams in the night. Awakened from slumber and forced to run._

_Metal clashed. His eyes watched, his eyes pulled in the slights, his ears drawing in sounds, his lungs drawing in breath…_

_The sun was gone, it seemed gone forever._

_Run._

_We have to go. The beating of hearts, the beating of rain against windows and walls._

_Run._

_Don’t look back, go, go. Every sound surrounded his every bit of conscious awareness._

_Gone, she was gone. He knew it somehow what was happening._

_Fear washed over him, turned his body numb, robotic. He barely registered what was happening, just that the sky was dark and he could hear screaming._

_The overarching call broke through his thoughts._

_RUN SON!_

_He closed his eyes._

_The water carried him away._

— — 

Rain fell from the sky, relentlessly pulled down to hit the ground in an offbeat rhythm. A sound of water pounding against the mud was a roar in his ears, water pounding against the roofs of the buildings sounded like the thunder itself with how relentless it was. He stepped forward from the overhang of the house that was behind him, as he did the rain fell on him. His boots sloshed in the mud, it sunk beneath his feet but he continued to step forward. He didn’t really care about the mud.

The estate was his home, his home his whole short life. It was what he knew better than anything else in the whole world. Even with the thick of a dark rainy night, the few lights that burned within were enough for him to know where each and every building was. The walls that extended around were thick, not like castle walls but they were meant to protect him. At least that was what his father had told him. He breathed the thick moistened air as he stared forward to where the gate was, he knew its location even if he could barely make out it’s outline. His eyes couldn’t adjust, not with so much rain but he still watched. 

His hearing was drowned by the sounds of relentless water, and his eyes were blocked by the lack of moonlight. Senses dulled by nature yet it didn’t stop him from looking.

The rain drops fell and he looked down to where bits of light from the lamps in the house reflected off the puddles formed on the ground. Each rain drop struck and disturbed the water as it met with the drops that had fallen before. Jinyoung’s eyes focused on the how those drop hit, falling to their deaths from the sky above. They came together disturbing the pools of water as they hit. More drops would release from the puddles in response, leaping into the air as if searching for a chance to rise again. Was it possible for a raindrop to ascend from such a fallen place? These were things he didn’t know. His eyes were entranced staring at them.

There was no real reason to it, to watch such a thing. He couldn’t make the droplets rise again, he couldn’t make the rain stop. He looked up towards the scattered droplets falling, the way the lights reflected off them had him entranced. His dark eyes could see past dark fringe that fell soaked in the night. It wasn’t cold, it was warm. The air would be different after such a rainstorm.

He heard a sound that drew his eyes back to the gate, expectation and hope rising in his chest only to fall again. Like the raindrops that sought to rise again. It fell. The sound was only the thunder in the sky. He waited for the crash of lighting to follow, or maybe lightning came first. He wasn’t sure of that either. He’d never watched so closely, he’d never had reason too.

“Master Jinyoung!” He heard a cross voice, female. He turned back with a gasp to see his nurse maid running out of the house, “What are you doing out here!” She shouted at him and he froze as if doing so would hide himself from her but he knew better. As the droplets were visible due to the lights of the house so was he. 

“Your soaking went child!” She exclaimed as she rushed out to grab him and he pulled back away from her. She had put him down to sleep hours before but he couldn’t sleep. He didn’t want to sleep.

“I don’t want to go inside!” Jinyoung protested. She looked at him with frustration, he knew that he tried her patience often. She told him so.

“Oh for heavens sake!” She declared and she looked around as she put her hands on his shoulders. There was a nervousness to the way she moved, he saw it. “Haeju!” She called out into the night for someone else who was out there keeping watch. The older guard who had been left to watch over the estate and Jinyoung specifically. His father was always leaving Haeju behind to protect him, from what he didn’t understand.

“What is wrong?” He heard the shout of the guard. The man was tall and had an imposing figure yet he was far enough away that Jinyoung couldn’t see a sign of him. Jinyoung was sure he was in the tower, sheltered from the rain and watching the roads. Jinyoung had asked Haeju that evening if he could stay up with the guard all night and watch as well. The man had laughed at him, fluffed his hair and told him that his job was to get a good nights rest.

“Are you sleeping on the job?” His nursemaid shouted at the man, “the young master has been out here in the rain for god knows how long.” She pulled at Jinyoung to get him back under the shelter of the eves of the house.

“I’ve been watching the roads ma’am,” he shouted back, “after sunset the boy is your job!” Jinyoung could feel her stiffen. The two of them bickered often about what their jobs were when it came to Jinyoung. Chae-Sung had practically raised him but as he’d gotten older he’d found himself following Haeju more and more. He knew they both cared about him, they didn’t say it but it was evident in their actions.

“Well,” Chae-Sung shouted back, “the master will be angry when he gets back if he finds his son has caught a cold!” Jinyoung scoffed, it wasn’t even cold. There was no reason for her to be so cross with him.

“Then get him inside,” the guard responded, “and stop blubbering to me about it.” 

“Come on boy,” she pulled at him towards the door but he pulled back. He didn’t want to go in. He didn’t want to go back to sleep. Something was wrong, he knew that but they weren’t telling him what it was. He was scared, and he didn’t want to go back to sleep, not until his father returned.

“Please,” Jinyoung struggled against her grip, “dad’s not back, I can’t go inside.” He wanted to watch. He wanted to run to his father when he returned. He didn’t want to wait inside, not when his dad was out in the rain somewhere. He just knew it, something was wrong. His father had gotten up in the dead of night, and a whole day had passed and he hadn’t returned. 

“Jinyoung-ah,” the woman knelt down in front of him, sensing how upset he was. She brushed the wet hair from his eyes, “if your father returns tonight I promise to wake you, but you have to come inside. You have to go to bed.” Jinyoung shook slightly and glanced back towards where he knew the gate was then down towards the puddles on the ground. He nodded slowly, he knew that there was no real way to get out of it. She stood up and pulled him inside. He followed without protesting again.

The large hall of the estate house was huge, or maybe he was just small. He let her pull him through it, past the rooms that were living spaces for daytime and towards the back of the house. They walked up the stairs quickly towards the sleeping rooms. He let her help him change out of his wet clothes to dry ones and tuck him into bed. It was her job to take care of him and he understood that she was just trying to do what was best for him. His father had always told him to listen to her, so he did. But still, he felt uneasy as she blew out his lamp and closed the doors in on him. He was alone again.

He laid wrapped in warmed blankets thinking of the night before. How he’d been awakened because of the sounds of his father was leaving. Men had come to their gates shouting things he didn’t understand. Jinyoung had heard the noise of them, horses hooves pounding against the ground. He had gotten up to see what was happening and seen his father running out. He’d been pulled back by his nursemaid then as well, not told what was happening. He sunk against the soft pillows of his bed and let his eyes slip shut as he imagined better things in an endeavor not to be afraid anymore. 

He pictured the meadows in the spring after the rain. His father reading to him softly as the nights grew colder. He pictured being out riding, sitting in front of his father chasing the rush of speed as the horse ran. He imagined practicing swords with his father. The only family he had left in the world. He loved him so much.

“Please come home,” Jinyoung said softly as he felt sleep pulling him in. 

His eyes shut tight and his body slackened as an uneasy sleep took him.

There was a heavy sound of a door slamming. Jinyoung’s body jumped him awake from the sound of it. His eyes opened and he breathed in as he heard heavy footfalls and voices. Not close voices. He sat up in his bed, the covers falling off his small body. He moved to his feet and pittered softly towards the door of his room. He could see lamps outside of it were lit and he wondered if it meant his father had returned.

He opened the door slowly and softly and crept down the hall. He didn’t want to be detected by Chae-Sung or Haeju. There was a crawl space that he’d found a few months before where he could find a gap in the floorboards and he could listen to what was going on in the main hall. He heard the voices more clearly as he got closer, he knew he if was caught awake they would send him to sleep again. That punishment wasn’t so bad and he wanted to know what was going on so he ignored thoughts of what he should do.

“What is the meaning of this intrusion at this time of night!” Chae-Sung spoke with an outraged voice to whoever it was who had entered.

“Relax I’m handling it,” one of the servants said, an older man that tended to the horses, and to the grounds. Jinyoung didn’t know him as well. Jinyoung could barely make him out between the cracks. He could see others down below, they were dressed in heavy armor with the crest of the king on their chests.

“It’s not being handled,” one of the armored men spoke, “your master is required to come to court immediately to swear his full allegiance to his majesty the king of Camelot.” Jinyoung didn’t understand.

“Our master is not here,” his nursemaid said, “and we don’t know when he is to return so run along and leave us be. When he returns we’ll send him to pay any required respects to his majesty.” How could that be that his father needed to swear to his king? They were already sworn to the King, Jinyoung remembered it being a lesson his father said often. That they served his majesty their king, and their king offered protection and care to their estate. There were one of many noble houses that watched over their lands and subjects but were loyal to one. Jinyoung had even gone to the castle with his father when his father had to council with the nobles. He was a loyal and good man.

“Your master, Woo Hye-jin is dead,” the man said and Jinyoung felt like someone had poured cold water over all his body when he heard those words. He put his hands over his mouth to stifle a gasp. That was his father’s name. His body started shaking, it wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. The man continued to speak. “He chose the wrong side, and now his son is required to come to the castle immediately to swear allegiance, or forfeit his rights to his title and his lands.”

“What are you saying?” The nursemaid said in protest, “our master has always served the king with honor! He would never-“

“King Lim is dead,” The guard said, Jinyoung shook his head as tears filled his eyes. He didn’t understand. How could the king be dead? How could his father be dead? “His brother has now taken the throne by birthright and requires the head of each noble household to verify his claim to the throne. The boy must come with us for his own good and yours.” 

“That’s not possible!” The groundsman said, “even if the king were dead, he had a son, a young son who has the strongest claim! And Master Jinyoung’s claim is not in question, he is the sole heir of this house and no one can take that title from him. The people would rebel against such actions!” Something was wrong, Jinyoung was about to get up and tell them to leave when a hand came around his mouth. He was pulled back and he struggled as best he could with how small he was when the person whispered a shush in his ear. He turned back to see it was Haeju. He leaned back into the older guard who pulled him back away from the crawl space and back towards the hall.

“Come young master,” Haeju told him, “we have to get you far away from this place.” Haeju lifted Jinyoung in his arms off the ground, Jinyoung held onto him and nodded as more tears spilled from his eyes.

“You will not disturb the boy!” Chae-Sung shouted, “we must tell him what happened to his father and give him time to grieve, he’s just a child! His father is dead, and you want to drag him into your mess immediately! Tell your King that he will come in his time, and leave this place immediately. She was fiery, but Jinyoung feared for her. Somehow he knew those men did not have good intentions.

“You will not stand in our way,” the guard said he heard the sound of metal, and knew that meant swords were drawn. A threat was being made. Jinyoung heard more shouts but Haeju rushed away with Jinyoung in his arms. Jinyoung didn’t struggle, he let the guard take him towards the back staircase where they would go to leave. He didn’t understand what was happening, what really was happening and why they were running. But when Haeju put him down and grabbed his hand to move quickly he followed without questioning it. He trusted Haeju

They were down the stairs quickly and the back doors were opened. He heard more shouts as they rushed out into the cold, he saw dawn was beginning and the rain was still there but light was coming from the sun rising. There were the sounds of horses hooves, sounds of men shouting. Sounds against the wooden stairs in the house, like a pounding. Those sounds seemed to override the beating of his own heart in his ears as Haeju ran and pulled Jinyoung along with him. They rushed towards the back gates and heard shouts. Jinyoung couldn’t think of what they were.

“Run boy,” Haeju said as they stumbled out onto the roads, they were wet with a thick mud, “run towards the forest, you know the caves in the upper hills, you go there and you wait for help. Go now and don’t look back.” He drew his sword and turned his body back towards the gate, Jinyoung gasped a breath.

“No I can’t go alone,” He said, fear gripping him as tears started to fill his eyes once again, “please!” The feeling of being entirely alone was frightening, his father was gone and he didn’t want to lose Haeju, or Chae-Sung or any of hi family.

“You have to go,” Haeju responded to him as he knelt down to Jinyoung’s level like his nursemaid had just before in the dead of night in the rain, “don’t cry boy, there’s been enough rain tonight. You have to be brave now, promise me you’ll be brave and you’ll go as fast as you can and you won’t come back here for any reason at all.” Jinyoung didn’t understand, would someone come for him? Who would look for him? He wouldn’t be okay on his own, he didn’t know how to do things on his own.

But despite the questions in his mind he nodded because the way Haeju spoke, he knew that he had to listen. So Jinyougn responded to his words by nodding in agreement, that he would be brave and he would be strong. He would run. He would go where they told him to. And he wouldn’t look back. He wouldn’t return.

“You’ll find me?” Jinyoung asked, he just wanted to hear it even if it was just a lie. He felt that Haeju didn’t intend to make it.

“Yes,” Haeju responded, “I’ll come and find you as soon as I can, I promise.” Jinyoung nodded again and hugged the older guard. The guard patted his head and pushed him off. So Jinyoung listened to what he was told turned and ran. The smells of the rain at dawn filling his senses. He ran feet nearly slipping in the mud as he did. He heard shouts and horses again and swords clashing. But he ran into the dark of the forest, the rain fading down as he did. The rain ceased but drops still fell from the trees. He rushed, even with the dawn the forest was still dark but it couldn’t hide the way he knew he had to go. He knew it well as he followed his instincts through the trees, he ran.

He slipped against wet grass and fell to the ground, huffing and puffing from running. He heard more sounds in the night, they didn’t sound far, and he knew as the day got brighter it would be easier to find him. It sounded like they were close. He got up fast to keep running. He had to do as instructed. He had to make it to the caves even though it was far. Even though he was alone and he couldn’t see well.

He ran feet hitting the ground light as his small body was propelled forward. His legs were small and he knew they couldn’t carry him far so he had to move as fast as he could. Trying to perceive the ground in the darkness, but failing. He tripped over something, a root, a branch perhaps. He fell into a puddle that sloshed water around him, fallen raindrops surrounding him. Jinyoung felt the mud beneath his hands and knees and breathed deep as he tried to rise again but he heard sounds, closer sounds. He froze as if being still he’d be invisible if he sank into the mud.

Those sounds got closer. He pushed himself up and sloshed through the mud to hurry forward. He had a long way to go, and he could feel they were going to catch up if he didn’t keep going. 

He heard the bark of a dog. His heart sinking in his chest as he ran further. He was so afraid. He was afraid of what would happen if they caught up to him. Chae-Sung was angry, and Haeju had tried so hard to get him out. He had to trust them, and he knew he couldn’t waste the chance they gave him to get away. His only chance was if he got away from there.

The caves were far, it was a big ask for a small child to tell him to cross that distance alone. The sun was rising and it was becoming easier to see. The rain stopped but the moisture in the air was still thick. The mud was caked against Jinyoung’s body, all over his hands. He kept moving and heard the sound of hooves. The trees had gaps, the horses would come closer. Jinyoung wondered if he should try to hide or if he should give up.

They were coming for him, to take him somewhere. He was scared of what it meant. He glanced back and saw a horse with a rider moving fast towards him. He kept running, pushing himself to move faster. A horse was suddenly in front of him, he screamed and slipped to the ground. The horse ran by him, the rider leapt off towards him.

“I found the boy!” The man shouted and Jinyoung tried to get up to run but a hand pulled him up by his shirt. Jinyoung cried out.

“Let me go!” he said.

“No one’s going to hurt you boy,” the man said to him as he grabbed Jinyoung’s arms to stop him from struggling, “you’re going to see the King. And you’re going to listen to us, that way no one will get hurt.” He pushed Jinyoung forward with his arms, and it hurt. Jinyoung struggled but he wasn’t strong enough to fight back.

It had all been for nothing. He wasn’t strong enough… 

——

The water carried him. The sun rose again.

Run son. 

He didn’t want to open his eyes to reality, so he erased it.

——

The Legend of the Sword


	2. Londinium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaebeom's morning is ruined by happenings on his streets.

The city was alive. That was something he’d recognized from the time he was a small child. That the city moved, lived and breathed in a rhythm that he’d always described as alive. He thought of it as a living being, whose pulse was something he wanted to be attuned to at every moment of the day. Like the beat of it’s heart was the beat of his own. 

The living nature of the city could sweep one away, could destroy one’s existence and it didn’t take much to get lost within the depths of that living monster. But Jaebeom wasn’t the kind to take anything lying down, he was the kind who had the determination to tame the beast himself. He walked tall, head held high and fists clenched. His arms were strong, ready for anything he may encounter but there were very few who would willingly cross him. He’d made himself a name on the streets, made himself one to be feared. He’d learned young that there was no other way to survive.

He walked against uneven cobblestones, listening to the sounds of wagons and clatter as they moved over the ground. The sounds of horses hooves against the stones was muffled by the sounds of wheels. So many were out, as they always were. Merchants filled the walkways and the squares and sold their wares to peasants and nobles alike. He could hear the sound of a blacksmiths forge. His ears listened beyond those sounds to the sounds of the water. Winds came from the west and blew along the currents. He could feel the wind, the slight chill, an edge that remained in the spring leftover from a harsh winter. He could hear the sound of laughter, sounds of shouting. There was a music to how the city moved, and to how those who dwelled within chose to spend their days. 

He walked up stairs towards one of the larger courtyards where more merchants sold their wares. He stepped through, most didn’t spare him a second glance as he walked by them. They knew better than to do so. He was observing, watching, looking for any changes in the way things were. He knew each day well. First day through seventh day, there was a rhythm to be observed on who would be in the square. He knew which merchants sold their wares in his territory, and any new ones his men intercepted to pay a fee to pass through. He ran the streets with a strict efficiency. He’d always had the drive to make something of his gang of misfits. He’d succeeded.

He smelled a fresh smell of bread on the air as he passed a smaller shop. He paid it no mind and continued towards the lower docks. Something had been different when he’d woken up. He’d sensed it in the smell of the air and the tides. He wasn’t surprised to find his intuition had been entirely correct. It always was.

The Chu Clan had entered the sprawling streets that evening, docking in the lower docks of his territory. Jaebeom knew thy were there but that wasn’t the same as knowing why. The Chu Clan was from across the western sea. They weren’t often seen in Londinium, and never in his territory. Not that they were appraised to how the streets of the forgiven city were run. There was no way they could know that, and Jaebeom wouldn’t trouble them if they didn’t cause trouble. 

Still there was a hunger within him to understand what they were doing in his city. As the sun rose high in the sky that hunger only grew, every beat and every change in the world around him gave him drive to understand it. It had always been that way. 

He walked through the streets in earnest, his expression was cold and he knew that others would sense to give him his clear path. His fists were clenched, ready for there to be a fight but knowing it wouldn’t come to one. He rarely needed to fight to get his point across. His words and the swift points his men made, that was usually enough. His men walked not alongside him but with him, along rooftops and in other alleyways. Where he went the others were never far behind. He’d spent years with them, and through the years they’d developed their own rhythm that flowed with that of their city. They’d always have each others backs. 

Jaebeom had collected them over the course of years. He’d known that whatever it was that he hoped to accomplish that he couldn’t do it alone. Years before he was just a bastard boy born in a brothel, but he chased after something. He had a desire beating in his chest to claw his way out of nothing, maybe it was just a way to survive. Maybe it was something more. His eyes turned and glanced up towards the hills that drove the city upward and onward. Higher and higher it went to the glistening towers of the castle. Camelot laid looming over them all. He looked at it then looked away. 

His pulse beat in his chest and living was something he felt was a privilege in an uncertain world. The tides could shift easily even as the waves of the sea changed their distance over and over. He could smell the salt air of the waters that ran through their city, fed from the sea. He heard the sounds of wagons and horses against cobblestones.

Londinium wasn’t a paradise, it was the lower city. Unlike the vast walls that surrounded the castle and the upper city which even bore it’s own name. It wasn’t a beautiful place, nor a wondrous place to live but within the sprawling limits of the city he found he didn’t mind the distance from those that were higher. The divide between Camelot and Londinium meant that he was ignored, unknown by those who hid behind the walls. He live his life free and run his gang of miscreants without interference from those who thought themselves better than the peasants that lived beneath them. He didn’t mind that life.

So while his drive existed towards something greater, he didn’t seek wealth so that he could enter into the city above. He sought to collect and save all he could, because money was protection. Money could buy them safety, it could buy them whatever it was they needed. It even bought them the kings guards on the streets, that they would turn a blind eye to what it was Jaebeom did and how he treated the streets like he was the one who was king. Money was power of it’s own, he didn’t seek it for power itself. He had a lot of people who relied on him. The women in the brothel who’d raised him, the friends who he’d collected around him to protect as well. 

The system was against them so he rigged the game in their favor. Created a new system that led him to controlling the pieces necessary to manipulate the outcome he wanted. It had been a long game getting there but he wasn’t about to let some foreign clan change a single thing about his grip on the streets. If they caused trouble he would make sure they got their comeuppance. 

“You have that look,” he knew someone had been seeking to fall into step with him long before it had happened but he’d not changed a single way of how he walked in response. He didn’t mind that the other man had caught up, he could tell when he was being approached. 

“Chu Clan members are in our vicinity,” Jaebeom said, “we need to make sure they don’t cause any trouble, and if they do we make them pay up.” Jaebeom expected people to have a strict understanding of his territory when they passed through, but foreigners were harder to deal with. They understood little about the way Londinium operated. They thought of the Kingdom as that under King Lim Jaehan, and didn’t understand that King Lim Jaehan had never seen the streets. He wasn’t the master of them, Jaebeom was.

“I set the boys to check on a merchant who was peddling goods through our streets earlier today,” Shownu reported, “he’d reported his wares last week but the wares I saw this morning were not equal to those that were reported.” It didn’t happen often but every once and a while a merchant or tradesman tried to pull one over on them. Some didn’t take them seriously, and Jaebeom knew such a thing needed to be corrected.

“And?” Jaebeom questioned. He would step in if he needed to but he trusted his boys to be able to take care of things.

“We confronted them, the issue was corrected,” Shownu said, “they’ve paid the proper tribute now, it really was no trouble to get it out of them.” That was good, it meant they were testing it but not willing to really fight on what it was that belonged to Jaebeom. He’d had to deal with one trader fighting him just a few months before. The trader had tried to report him to the Captain of the guards, but that man was in Jaebeom’s pocket. Jaebeom won the skirmish of wills handily. The trader paid his tribute and was trouble since.

“That’s good,” Jaebeom responded as he stepped down and his eyes rested on the docks. The ships there bore crests, snakes, fitting animals to symbolize that Clan. “What do they want I wonder?” Jaebeom said aloud as he looked.

“They were invited by some upper crust nobleman,” Shownu said, “that’s what I was able to gather, there are more ships docked in Camelot than down here. These ones seemed to want to enjoy the wanton sin of the lower city.” More docked in Camelot, that was something he hadn’t caught on to. He rarely looked to Camelot, he let his men handle any observations on that front.

“If they spend money here that’s their business then,” Jaebeom responded, “tell the boys to keep an eye out. If they start peddling wares we’ll need to have a conversation.” Shownu nodded as they walked down past the sight of the docks and back up towards another sector of the town. Jaebeom was always glad to have Shownu beside him. They were good friends for a long time, Shownu much older had taken Jaebeom under his wing when Jaebeom was a child. Taught him a lot about fighting, stealing, dishonorable living, but survival. Survival was key.

“Where are you going now?” Shownu asked him. Jaebeom glanced back towards the docks then back up. He walked towards a hill of cobblestone stairs that would lead him up higher. The truth was he wasn’t sure where he was going. He’d felt so off that morning. 

Something had changed, maybe it was more than just the Chu Clan. Learning most of them were docked in Camelot… He couldn’t concern himself with what went on beyond Londinium. He turned away to keep himself from looking at it again and walked towards the upward path.

“To Jackson’s,” Jaebeom said as he began to walk up, “I’ve got to let off some steam.” He could feel tension in his arms, his hands. He didn’t like that feeling in his body. Sometimes it was easy enough to drink it off but most days he found himself needing something more physical. There was a place higher, owned by a family named Wang. The owner’s son was a friend of his. It was a place many men went to spar, to practice fighting. For what reason it didn’t matter, Jaebeom found himself there more often than not when he was young. As he grew in his operation to control the streets he went less. 

He had to spend most of his time observing, and enforcing the streets. But when the tension sunk into his bones he would look back upwards and walk back to where he’d first learned to throw a good punch. Hyelim, one of the women at the brothel who’d practically raised him said he had deep set issues with anger due to being abandoned by his father. She tended to go on and on about why he was the way he was. But she’d never been particularly strict with him.

If there was an anger in himself, he wasn’t sure why. He had little to be angry about. He had a good life, he’d worked hard to achieve what it was he had. If he slowed down on it he was sure he could lose it just as fast but he had no plans to slow down. There were still other places he could extend his reach, build his kingdom wider. Create a Londinium where his makeshift family would be safe from whatever it was the nobles on high would do on the whims of their strange fancies. 

“I’ll keep an eye out down here,” Shownu said. He’d known Shownu would, he’d always relied on him for a reason. 

“Thanks,” Jaebeom called back. He stepped up and watched his feet carefully. The cobblestones on that way were in disrepair. Few lived on that particular street. When he was a child he’d run up it, slipped on a loose cobblestone and broken his arm. Sunmi had set it. Another one of his prostitute mothers, one particularly gifted in medicine. Someone who probably could have been much more if the world wasn’t so cruel.

He stepped up towards a side alleyway, a shortcut that would lead him to his destination. He wasn’t thinking too much of his surroundings, they were familiar to him but he noticed something off and he stopped. On one of the walls there was something that hadn’t been there before, something he’d hoped to never see in his territory. 

A symbol, of a circle with a cross issuing forth from it. The shapes weren’t perfect in the etching, it looked like maybe they’d been rained on slightly. They were painted in red, he stopped and stared at it. He knew exactly what it was and what it meant. It was the symbol of rebellion, created some weeks before when the waters had receded at the build site of the kings new gaudy black tower. He’d not wanted to think of what was going on beyond the streets of his city. He didn’t want to think about what the nobles were discussing in Camelot, what the peasants were whispering on the street.

The event was in everyone’s mouths and as much as he wanted to ignore it, trouble was brewing beneath his feet. Beneath everyones. If rebels were operating on his streets he needed to find them and get rid of them before they brought trouble on his head. He looked away from the symbol quickly as he felt something, a presence like he was being watched. He didn’t like that feeling.

His eyes met another pair of eyes, far down the alleyway. A boy with dark hair was walking, glancing back towards him. Jaebeom looked at the symbol of the sword in the stone and the turned back towards the figure only to find he was gone. Jaebeom shook his head and ran up the alleyway quickly but as he got to the end of it he saw no sign of the person anywhere.

That uneasy feeling settled in him. He felt frustration rising in his veins. He turned back down the street and towards his original destination. He would send one of his boys to clean off the mark. He clenched his fists, wondering if the person he’d seen was the one to leave it or if his eyes were playing tricks on him. It didn’t matter, he would find out. He had eyes everywhere. Whoever was stirring up rebel activity on his streets would be dealt with. He wanted nothing to do with the business of the King. He wanted nothing to do with anything that would effect the lives of those he had to protect.

There was no point in rebelling. Things wouldn’t change if they did. If there really was a born king, whose right it was to claim the throne he didn’t care. As far as Jaebeom was concerned that person was probably as unfit to rule as that persons uncle. There was no point to any of it. It would only bring death upon their heads. The commoners were always the ones who suffered when the nobles and lords squabbled over who was to be king. 

So Jaebeom would keep his territory clean of it, and punish anyone who brought such things into his vicinity.

— —

He looked down towards the mud of the dried up riverbed. It was unexplainable what had happened, at least based on natural things. But he knew there was more than the natural at work where it came to the magic that had once been housed beneath. It was a risk just being there, he knew that everyone was looking for him, the King would have all eyes searching for him after his latest breakout but he had to see it.

The whispers had reached him, that the sword was seen again and the prophecy that had been given by the mages was true after all. He’d missed the King’s reaction in how quickly he’d left the castle, he’d had to take his first way out. The game of cat and mouse would continue, as it had since he was just a small child.

“Hey Jinyoung,” his companion called after him, “hurry we need to finish this job so we can get back to the others.” Jinyoung needed to stop staring, from the top of the hill he could see so much of what was happening. He tried to count how many of the kings guard were down there. But that number was small in comparison to the number of men they were funneling towards the sword. Testing out candidates, seeking for the one to kill.

It was a dangerous gamble to allow it to continue but unfortunately he and his people had no way of getting ahead of what was being done. There was no way to identify who the born king was other than to use the sword. It would only answer to him. Jinyoung had guessed long before that was why the King was so uptight, that the sword had revealed itself. It was the only thing that had made sense to him.

“Time to go,” His companion called impatiently. 

“Coming,” Jinyoung turned away from looking down towards the dried up river bed below. He smiled slightly, the edges of his mouth tipping upwards as his eyes filled with light. There was trouble amiss in Camelot and he knew that would soon extend to Londinium, Berrishiere, Lancel, Indinios, and more of the holdings beyond the hills. The kingdom was awakening as the news of the sword spread. There was no way of hiding the truth now, Excalibur had returned and it was about to bring a change to all of them.

As winds blew Jinyoung felt it, deep magic was at work. 

— —

Shownu knew that Jaebeom was in a bad mood that morning the moment he’d seen him out walking the streets. The way he walked was different when he was upset. Shownu knew him well enough to know the small ticks in his posture and the way he moved. Shownu had also known about the Chu Clan and that the likely reason for Jaebeom’s upset was those people being in his territory. Jaebeom hated things outside of his control entering his streets. The likelihood of there being trouble was always high where foreigners were concerned, and Shownu knew that. If they stepped out of line Jaebeom would be there to issue a warning. Sometimes Shownu wished Jaebeom could ignore such issues but it wouldn’t bode well for any of them.

Their reputation had to be upheld or traders and merchants might get bold enough to step out of line as well. Jaebeom ran things strict for a reason because he didn’t want trouble or blood spilled. What Jaebeom did want was to ensure his ownership of his territory and Shownu understood. Jaebeom was uptight, he’d always been. Since Shownu had found Jaebeom sitting in an alleyway hiding, bleeding from a beating he’d taken from some other larger boys on the streets. Jaebeom wasn’t cowering away, he’d been plotting, planning his revenge.

Shownu had seen so much frustration and anger in that small boy. Jaebeom had been eager to learn how to fight back, eager to stand up for himself any for those he cared about. The girls at the brothel being first on that list, Jaebeom had seen the violence against them and wanted to protect them. Shownu had sought to help Jaebeom lighten up as he grew but as Jaebeom got stronger, and better able to fight back the game had changed. He had somehow turned their streets into something more than just the place they had to survive. Jaebeom had turned Londinium into his own kingdom and Shownu admired him for it. He would always be loyal to Jaebeom, but at times he wished he could see Jaebeom relax and rest. He rarely even saw the man smile.

He sighed as he received a message that someone was leaving rebel graffiti in their territory. If allowed to continue the worst could happen, the kings soldiers raiding their homes and in their streets. That wouldn’t bode well for any of them, but what was worse Shownu had a sinking feeling he knew who would do such a thing and he had to investigate and deal with it himself. He sighed as he walked quickly through the streets eyes searching for the unruly child, his own child. 

He loved his son but he knew he wasn’t a particularly good parent and he let the boy run in whatever circles the boy wanted to run in. It was to give him a sense of freedom, but he got wild eyed ideas about the world from the friends he chose to keep. And the ideas of revolution he heard were exciting him because he lacked the knowledge and critical capacity to understand what a revolution would actually mean. It would be trouble for all of them. 

Shownu was sure there was no one else in Jaebeom’s territory would risk their neck to do something so stupid except for a child. And not many children ran the streets like his own boy. The boy would likely get caught by the guards before Jaebeom even knew who was doing it. Shownu had to catch him first for all their sakes.

It seemed luck was on his side that morning it didn’t take him long to find the boy. He was in a back alley too close to the docs for Shownu’s comfort. But just as Shownu had suspected he’d found the boy the boy had a bucket of paint standing in front of a wall etching a circle that would form a base for the cursed symbol. Shownu sighed, temper rising.

“Boy!” Shownu shouted at him, the small boy jumped, paint splattering as he did. “Get away from there you idiot!” The boy tried to get away, knowing he was in trouble but Shownu grabbed him quickly. “What do you think you’re doing?” He asked as he glared down at his son.

“The born king is coming back,” Chan whined to him “I’m just-“

“Yeah yeah that nonsense again,” Shownu pulled him away from the wall, “when your born king comes back he’ll have to spring you from a cell, if I can catch you show can others.” Shownu kicked the paint bucket over. He would send someone to clean it up and clean off the beginnings of the symbol. After Jaebeom had sent out an alert they’d found two other symbols aside from the one Jaebeom had found. There was no way that one of the guards hadn’t seen at least one of them, their week was about to get rough. 

He had sent one of the boys to alert Jaebeom of the other two, even though he’d rather Jaebeom not have to deal with it. He knew it was already too late for that. Jaebeom would have to bribe the guards again to keep it quiet, he would be more cross when he found out the source of all his trouble was Shownu’s boy. A stupid kid who didn’t really understand what it was he was involving them all in.

“You’re in big trouble,” Shownu said to the child, “you’re going to have to answer to Jaebeom for this, you do know that?” He would take him straight to Jaebeom.

“Dad,” Chan whined, “i’m just-“

“You’re causing trouble,” Shownu responded, “I let you have a little freedom and this is what you do with your time. You’d be better of if I locked you in a room with your books to study. Your mother would be furious if she knew that I let you become a rascal.” He had a good hold on Chan’s arm as he walked up the streets. He wanted to teach the boy a lesson, scare him a little and he knew Jaebeom would play along. Jaebeom was a hard-ass but he had a soft spot for Chan. He would be grumpy but would ultimately forgive the boy of his ignorant stupidity.

Shownu knew Jaebeom understood that he could trust Shownu to deal with the problem. But there was no reason to not teach his kid a lesson before all that.

“Please don’t tell Jaebeom,” Chan whined and Shownu chuckled. He was glad Chan was at least a little afraid of Jaebeom, with all Jaebeom’s doting on the kid Shownu was sure that Chan would realize at some point there was no danger from the gang leader. 

“Jaebeom’s going to be very angry with you,” Shownu said to him as he continued to walk on. He knew where Jaebeom was. Probably still at the Wang’s fight training facilities. Jaebeom was more frustrated than usual so he would likely spend the whole day there unless someone gave him a reason to leave. Shownu did hope that the Chu Clan didn’t become a reason. Jaebeom’s day would be ruined and he’d likely do something rash. 

“I won’t do it again,” Chan whined, “if you don’t tell Jaebeom I won’t do it again.” Shownu rolled his eyes. His son was more afraid of Jaebeom than his own father’s punishment. 

“Tell that to Jaebeom,” Shownu said, “maybe he’ll have pity on you since you’re so scrawny, and he’ll take your finger off instead of your whole hand.” Chan gasped in horror and Shownu rolled his eyes with a laugh. It was funny to him that the boy thought that Jaebeom would seriously do such a thing.

Jaebeom’s reputation on the streets was strong, even his son who had close access to Jaebeom believed the stories he heard. Shownu supposed that had something to do with Jaebeom telling Chan that every single one of them were true when Chan asked. “We’ll have no more of this born king nonsense son,” Shownu spoke as they approached the small compound, “you’re going to learn your lesson and forget you heard any of that from your friends.” He pulled Chan in the door of the establishment.

“Jaebeom,” Shownu called as he walked through the halls and into the back courtyard where there were always men working. The Wangs ran an establishment many paid to be a part of them and most of them were Jaebeom’s men. He was surprised to find Jaebeom sitting on stairs with the others around him talking. He wasn’t fighting or training. There were more of their men around than would normally be there at one time, that meant something was up and Shownu was sure he didn’t want to know what. Jaebeom’s expression looked serious, something must have gone down.

“What is it?” Jaebeom asked him, and Jaebeom’s eyes moved from him to Chan who still had paint on his hands and clothes. The red paint was unmistakable, Shownu was sure Jaebeom knew what it was.

“What have you done boy?” Jaebeom asked Chan, Shownu saw there was a tiredness to the way he expressed it. Shownu looked around at the others once again wondering what actually was going on. He had that feeling he always got before Jaebeom took off on some daring escape.

“The born king is coming back,” Chan responded, “I heard it from my friends, and the people need to know.” He insisted, fist clenched in a stubborn stance that Shownu might have appraised if his actions weren’t poised to get them into trouble.

“Who are these friends of yours?” Jaebeom asked Chan next.

“A couple of dock workers,” Chan said honestly, “they shipped out on a long voyage but they told me they saw it. The sword in the stone is real, and the soldiers are hunting for him, a born King to pull the sword from the stone and save us all?”

“Save us from what?” Jaebeom leaned back seeming bored. He glanced around at his men then back to Chan who seemed stumped by the question.

“It’s what they said,” Chan responded. Jaebeom rolled his eyes then smiled slightly. Shownu expected him to show a bit more upset to teach the boy a lesson but his mind seemed to be elsewhere. That meant something had happened for certain and Shownu bet it had to do with the foreigners in their city.

“We don’t need saving,” Jaebeom said to Chan, “don’t let anyone tell you that we need saving. We’re doing just fine here boy, and you’ll see it as you get older. I protect you and your father, and I’m telling you now if we catch you doing this again you will be in trouble, but today I am feeling merciful.” He looked up to Shownu who rolled his eyes in response. Jaebeom looked back at Chan whose expression had sunk.

“I’m sorry sir,” Chan said, and they all knew he meant it.

“You don’t need to be sorry,” Jaebeom said, “just don’t do it again.” He reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair. He really was too soft on the boy. “Now go wash up, get rid of that paint I need to speak to your father.” Chan nodded and turned and ran out towards where the water faucet was. Shownu looked at Jaebeom who’s jaw had gotten tight.

“What is going on?” Shownu asked him.

“Chu Clan,” Jaebeom said, “one of their leaders messed with Sunmi.” That wasn’t exactly what Shownu expected but it wasn’t surprising. A lot of men got unruly at the brothels before Jaebeom sorted things out, but foreigners didn’t understand there were repercussions for certain behaviors.

“So what are we going to do?” Shownu asked. The difficulty with the Chu Clan is they weren’t schmucks, they weren’t the kind of people one wanted to get into a fight with but Jaebeom played by his own rules.

“They’re going to sort this out,” Jaebeom responded, “and pay Sunmi a years worth of wages for what they did, that’s the only price I will accept.” He was angry, he always was where it concerned his girls. They’d raised him, cared for him when he was a child with nothing. Jaebeom felt he owed a debt to them and did everything he could to protect them. Shownu understood. 

“How are you going to get them to give you the money?” Shownu asked him.

“Come with me,” Jaebeom stood up, and looked around at the other men. He likely had already been plotting a plan. “I’m planning on walking in and asking him for it.” 

Shownu then saw the fire in his eyes, the light that always came before Jaebeom did something daring. The rush was beginning, the drive and determination within him meant he would succeed or die trying. That fire was what made Jaebeom the man who had conquered the streets to come out on top. That fire was what meant he would get what he wanted one way or another and Shownu was excited to be by such a man’s side.

He would fight with him and follow him to whatever battle was ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter is done, I hope you enjoyed it. Please comment and let me know what you think. I will endeavor to keep the chapters moving out as quickly as I can. I wanted to update once a week but this week I was slow on writing the last scene so hopefully as I get into the groove I will update weekly. Once again please comment and leave kudos.


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